Where a Mario Tricoci exec dines for business

Megan Bueschel entertains modeling agency and media reps, out-of-town product vendors and the occasional fashion designer. She is senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Palatine-based Mario Tricoci Hair Salons & Day Spas, but spends one day a week downtown with wall-to-wall appointments. Where she goes:

Long-form lunch in the Gold Coast: Fred's at Barneys New York. If I'm doing something in the fashion arena I always take them to Fred's. You and your guest are teed up just right after walking through that fashionable store. You've got your head in the right place. It's not so quiet that you feel uncomfortable, not so loud that you can't have a good business meeting. I never feel rushed, yet the place always fills up. The service is unobtrusive. They never come up and bust into your conversation, and the menu is great. It's not too extensive, so you're not reading for a long time, and the portions are just right. You never overeat or feel underserved.

On her plate:Turkey club sandwich or the chopped club salad.

Done deal: When one of the finalists in our “Mario, Make Me a Model” competition landed a contract she told me she didn't know what to do with the significantly larger amount of money she was making. Since most of the finalists do get contracts, I decided we needed a banking partner to show these kids how to manage their assets. I invited the senior vice president of a bank to Fred's to get them in that fashion space, and I had the partnership before they served lunch.

Short-form lunch in the Loop: Petterino's. When I meet with media reps and our partners at Broadway in Chicago, Petterino's is convenient, and I love the energy and get-the-business-done pace. They have a more extensive menu which works well because a lot of my media partners are men. I can have my salad, they can have something heartier. Plus, you can get an omelet any time of day, and who doesn't love breakfast food?

On her plate: Shrimp Louis salad with spicy remoulade. It's like you're in New Orleans.

Done deal: One day I looked up at the wall (covered with caricatures of famous people) and saw a photo of my friend Denise McGowan Tracy (founder of event producer DMT Entertainment Inc. in Chicago). I decided to look her up, and since then we've solidified many partnerships over lunch here.

Just coffee in the burbs: Starbucks, Schaumburg. I do a lot of quick catchup meetings at coffee shops because you don't have to deal with the interruptions of a full meal. The Starbucks at Streets of Woodfield is great because it has a conference room, lots of little cafe tables where I can open up a laptop and a lounge area with leather chairs and tables.